The Monster at the End of this Story
by memoire
Summary: They met by chance, on a lonely shore on a lonely beach. They weren't supposed to talk, supposed to meet, but they did. He'll love her for forever, for eternity, and even when her ashes are spread wide throughout the sea. There is a monster at the end of this story, and it's slowly approaching.


The sea was a calm green, the sky a clear blue, and the atmosphere an ethereal silence. No squawking seagull was in sight and the gentle sound of the waves melted in the silence. It was a peaceful day, a good day, and one of the few he'll ever have.

The heavens were surprisingly calm for once and arguments didn't ring throughout the gold and marble halls of Olympus. Everybody was busy doing "business." And by that he meant fooling around and possibly causing another war that he was going to have to deal with. He knew that the peace will not last long, it never has, but he will enjoy the day while it lasts.

So there he stood, pressing his tanned feet deep into the grains of the sand and feeling the cool water brush against his skin. His trident was firmly held in his hand, glowing with blue energy. Whatever his brother was doing at the moment, it was certainly working out. Of course, it was because of him (no, not his brother) the ocean was as tranquil as they have ever been. Being the god of the sea was his greatest advantage, but also his fatal weakness.

He frowned and the sea turned ever so slightly turbulent. He remembered his children who died on his territory, the children who he wasn't able to save and let them die a bloody death. The least he could do was to safely carry their bodies to shore or if their mother was dead, then to the soft sand of the ocean floor.

That was one thing about him, he was sentimental. History won't remember his children, but the oceans will. The ocean never forgets and always pays its debts. Treat it well, and one will prosper. Treat it badly, and one will find a twenty foot wave at the stern. The water bitterly reminded that he failed to save them.

He sighed heavily. Now was not the time to reflect on the past. What's done is done and there was no turning back now. It upset him that he didn't know the names of those who died in the wars, the ones who didn't get epics written about them, the ones whose mothers he had a one night stand with and then abandoned, the ones who never knew who their father was.

It was a general rule to never reveal to their children about their true heritage. The children will die soon enough, whether to the maw of a hellhound or the barrel of gun. It wouldn't matter that they were demigods and once they reached the end of their line, well, that was it. The children were disposable and for a long time, this was the philosophy of the Olympians.

Looking back, perhaps he was a terrible father. In fact, he doubted that he remembered any of their names. He never went to any of their birthday parties, to their weddings, and to their funerals. He never objected to them joining the war only to get blown up.

He stood there on the beach, staring at it thoughtfully. It was nice not tending to his godly duties. Just once, he would like to experience what a mortal experienced in their brief lives. The weight of the world wouldn't be on his shoulders and he can do whatever he wanted, love whoever he wanted, and go wherever he wanted without the fear of being punished. He was jealous of those mortals, who never had to deal with monsters.

No gods or mortals to deal with. It was just him and his domain. And tomorrow, the seas would be rougher, the skies more grey, as the gods would resume their positions.

A sudden memory bubbled up into his mind. He was supposed to visit his palace and get some "alone time" with Amphitrite since she was complaining on how he was always up on Olympus. He frowned slightly but wasn't upset. It was going to take a few minutes, but not a lot.

He tossed his trident into the air and deftly caught it, about to disappear into thin air when a woman can up to him.

"Excuse me sir, but why are you holding a trident?" It was an innocent question but coming from her, a mortal as far as he can tell, was dangerous. Which meant one thing – she could see through the Mist.

There were many things that he could've done at the moment. He could've disappeared in a snap, lie that he wasn't holding one and proclaim that she crazy, turn her into a clownfish, etc. But he did none of those things. Instead he said:

"Because it is my weapon and a symbol of my power." He honestly had no idea why he said it. It's been a long time since a mortal talked to him directly and even longer that it was woman.

The woman grinned, her teeth shining like the whitest pearl. She didn't seem intimidated, but eager. That was new. Usually they would scream in terror and beg for mercy, if they were brave enough to confront him that is. His interest in her piqued.

"What makes you so high and mighty to wield such a weapon?" she asked.

"I am a god," he answered simply.

"Oh? And which god is that?"

"The god of the seas."

"Hmm…so tell me 'god of the seas,' what's your name?"

"Poseidon."

The woman held out her hand, her smile never leaving her face. "Nice meeting you, Poseidon. My name is Sally Jackson."

Sally Jackson. The name rang out through his head like a melody. Sally Jackson, Sally Jackson, Sally Jackson. Her eyes were the clearest azure, clearer still than the sea on a beautiful day and maybe, Aphrodite's eyes. They changed shades, from cerulean to Prussian blue.

He graciously took her hand and kissed it lightly, earning a light blush on her cheeks. "Really? That gesture is so outdated."

"To me, it was only yesterday that it was the norm."

"If yesterday was the Victorian era. How old are you?"

"Centuries, upon centuries, upon centuries. I witnessed the evolution of humanity, Prometheus being chained, the rise of machines, and every war known to history – and events that even you don't know about. I experienced everything there was to offer," Poseidon said grandly, waving his arms for emphasis.

Sally raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. I haven't even been outside the country. I've always been afraid of the air. "

Poseidon's opinion of her was instantly raised but wasn't sure to go farther. Sally's eyes were downcast and her spark disappeared. He decided to change to subject to something less personal, but she beat him to it.

"Well, based on your description, it sounds like you're just a regular human that lives a long life."

He couldn't help but notice how fast her mood changed, but that still didn't excuse the fact that she called him a _mortal._ Did she ignore the fact that he was much older than she was? He was about to respond when Sally continued.

"You said that you experienced everything, so I'm guessing you experienced emotions: love, anger, sadness, frustration, and such. You have flings like any normal person based on your history and you get revenge on those who wrong you" Sally paused. "Then again, you expressed them in _extreme_ ways but love is love and anger is anger."

Poseidon was reminded of his past, of his abandoned lovers and children, of his outbursts. It brought back both fond and loathing memories, too many to name. He shouldn't be associating with mortal women ever since his brothers and he made that pact, and yet, he found himself falling for her.

His heart was pierced with Cupid's arrow, and he could not pull it out.

"I see that you're familiar with your mythology," answered Poseidon.

"It helps when you have a lot of free time."

"Hm, when are you free?"

"Are you asking me out on a date, already? We only just met."

"You're a captivating woman and it's been so long since I have, ahem, dated."

Sally smiled. "Never too late to go back now."

Poseidon smiled back. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

* * *

Four months would pass before he saw her again. His thoughts were constantly on Sally and he often drifted off during "important" council meetings. It was a miracle that Aphrodite didn't notice that he was love sick, and that goddess knows the dirt on everybody.

He sent little presents to Sally whenever she was at the beach: a luminous pearl, a piece of bright red coral, something to show his love for her **.** He couldn't go directly to her yet in fear that someone else might find out. He traveled down a forbidden road, one that he can never go back on. If the other Olympians found out, then Sally will be lost to him, forever.

But he could not ignore the dire feeling in his heart. He wondered if it could stand one more heartbreak. He loved many women (and men), but watched them get swept away by the currents of time. At that time, he didn't care or he didn't care as much as he should have.

He promised himself that he wouldn't do that to Sally. He won't forget her like the others.

It was there he decided that he was going to her house tonight. Tonight was not as busy as the others. Amphitrite and Triton were away and Poseidon was free to do whatever he wanted once he got home from Olympus.

He summoned a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote:

 _Meet me on Montauk Beach, at noon. I'll bring everything, you just have to go._

Poseidon whistled with two fingers and instantly, a seagull came down and perched on his right shoulder. He rolled up the paper tightly and gave it to the bird to hold.

"Bring this to Ms. Sally Jackson, New York. I trust you know where she lives?"

The seagull bobbed its head and promptly flew off.

Poseidon sighed and stretched his limbs. How does one prepare for a date in the modern world? Back in his day, there were no such things as "dates" and the young people got married right away whether they liked each other or not. The most recent woman he was with was during the 1920s – that was a wild time.

He decided to go with the old fashioned way: a bouquet of flowers and Victorian mannerisms. He was going to bring one of those towels that the mortals bring to the beach. Hmm… what kinds of food do they eat anyway? They can't eat ambrosia, so he'll just bring some sweets. Hopefully she won't mind that they're blue.

It was settled then. He would just have to ask Demeter a small favor to make a batch of cookies for him, and maybe those flowers. The beach supplies he can just summon them up. What else?

Poseidon snapped his fingers. Of course! What was he thinking? Yes, yes, Sally will surely love this… And with that, he disappeared towards Hephaestus's forge.

...

The sun was a yellow dot in the sky by the time Poseidon reached the beach, towels and a picnic basket in tow. He saw Sally standing near the water in a light blue jacket and jeans, brown hair framing her fair face and eyes.

Poseidon felt his present for Sally bounce around in the basket and the smell of the cookies wafted through the air. He owed Demeter a month's worth of free water (the rate was five drachmas per pound) for her plants but the cookies she baked were well worth the money he would lose.

"What kind of person puts blue chocolate chips in?" Demeter muttered under her breath when she put the dough into the oven. "A ridiculous person that's who. At least I get to save money…" She looked over her shoulder to see Poseidon carefully pick out red roses.

"Hey! Careful with those," Demeter snapped. "Those are Persephone's and if you dare hurt them, she'll turn you into a daisy or worse, I'll turn you into a nice wheat plant."

Poseidon fearfully nodded and lowered his hand from the flowers just a little bit. "Yes ma'am."

He shook his head at the memory. Now was not the time to remember what happened at Demeter's home.

"Poseidon!" Sally shouted as she waved her hand and snapped him out of his reminiscence.

He waved back. "Sally! Come over here. I got everything."

Poseidon laid out the blanket and brought out the cookies, neatly wrapped in individual packets and offered one to Sally.

"Thank you, but it isn't it a little too cold to be going to the beach?" She laughed, pulling her scarf a bit closer to her neck. "It's December and usually a date doesn't take place here but at home or a nice restaurant."

Poseidon snorted. "Nonsense. Every day is the perfect day to go to the beach. It's not cold out, quite the opposite really."

"…Perhaps it is because that you're a god? It's 40 degrees Fahrenheit and that's 'cold' for us humans. Is that why you're dressed in a Hawaiian t-shirt?"

"Oh. I forgot how fragile you mortals are." Poseidon waved his hand. "Take a bite of the cookie; I'm sure that will make your body warm and toasty."

"I'm not sure that eating a cookie will help the cold, but there's nothing wrong with eating one – oh, it's blue! Any reason for that?"

"I just like blue food, okay?"

Sally laughed. "It's perfectly fine. I just never expected a god to like such a peculiar thing. It makes you more human, I think. Do the other gods know?"

"Of course not," Poseidon snorted. "They're already breathing down my neck and I don't need another thing to criticize me on. Go ahead, try it. They're made from Demeter's own kitchen and I assure you, they are delicious. "

Sally took a small bite and smiled as the warm dough melted in her mouth. The taste was absolutely heavenly and it was possibly the best cookie she ever had.

"I'm guessing by your face, you like it?" Poseidon said.

"Uh huh." She swallowed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Well, give Mrs. Demeter my thanks. The cookies were delicious."

"I knew that you would like them." He smiled warmly.

Sally smiled back and looked out into the distance. "The sea is beautiful today. Is it because of you?"

"Yes. The sea reflects my mood."

"Then you are content right now?"

"I am more than content. I am happy, joyful, pleased, and ecstatic just being around you."

She blushed. "That's nice of you to say. I'm guessing when you are sad, then the sea is grey and subdued. When you are angry, the sea is choppy and violent."

Poseidon nodded. "Exactly. In my opinion, the sea is more expressive, more unpredictable and resembles a wild horse."

Sally looked up to the sky, a small frown on her lips. "Well, I wouldn't say that. I think there is something more unpredictable than the seas."

"If you're talking about my brother, then you aren't wrong. He's known for his violent tantrums, causing Olympus to shake and the skies to rumble with anger. Honestly, he may be the oldest but he is a child."

"Was he angry during March 20, 1977?"

"Maybe. I don't remember. Why do you ask?"

"The next time you see him, tell him to go to Hell and say it's from Sally Jackson."

Poseidon shrugged. "To be fair, he's been to Hell plenty of times to visit Hades and you'll probably be vaporized if I tell him that. Besides, I would hate if that pretty face of yours turned into ashes."

"Very smooth of you to say that," snorted Sally. Her face split into a grin and her anger vanished. "You know, for an old man, you sure do know how to woo the ladies."

"It helps when you have thousands of years of experience. I've given birth to many children and fell in love with many people. None of them are alive."

"Then am I not important to you?" Sally sighed. "Even if I die, the world will keep on spinning won't it? In the grand scheme of things, I am but an insignificant mortal whose life span is that of a mayfly compared to yours."

"That's not true. There are other ways to stay alive other than breathing."

"Like what?"

"Memories." Poseidon took her hands into his own. "You are never truly dead until no one remembers you anymore. Take a look at your parents. They are dead, but you still remember them. In those memories, they live. And as long as I exist, you will too."

"…Do you really mean that?"

He cupped her cheek tenderly. "Yes."

They sat there, staring at one another and then, Sally moved in for a kiss. Her lips were soft and pink, slightly parted.

Poseidon, furiously blushing, also moved in to kiss her. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist in a tender embrace and his lips met hers. Time seemed to slow down and the world felt like it revolved around them. This was the most peace that Poseidon had in a century and he wished that this moment, this tiny, beautiful, moment, would last forever.

In reality, the kiss only lasted a fraction of second as it was interrupted by the boom of thunder – the call for the gods to convene at Olympus.

Poseidon instantly broke the kiss and looked at her with weary eyes. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I have to go.

"Wait!" She reached her hand out but it was too late to grasp his arm and was met with empty space.

Sally was left alone once again and sighed. It wasn't his fault that he had to go, she knew that but now a gaping hole in heart was left. Dejectedly, she rummaged through the basket for another cookie but felt something else.

She brought out a black velvet box rimmed with gold and opened it. She found a luminescent pearl surrounded by little diamonds set on a gold ring. "HF" was inscribed in the interior and in flowing calligraphy: "I love you."

A gentle wind blew through the beach. And barely, just barely, could Sally hear Poseidon's voice whisper through her ear.

 _I engraved my words on something that is here to stay. It is to make up for all those broken promises I made during my day. My dear, where the world ends, that is where we will meet again._

* * *

Sally slowly rocked back and forth on her chair, letting the setting sun warm her skin. Oh what a wonderful day it was! Her grandchildren came to visit and they fed the fishes in the pond and helped her in the garden. What a shame that Percy couldn't visit her anymore as much as he used to. She couldn't blame him of course, a hero stops for no one, not even for his mother.

She supposed that applied to the world, did it not? No matter what happens, someone dies, a war starts, or a child cries, the world keeps spinning madly on.

Her grandchildren already left, left a while ago actually and left their aging grandmother rocking in her rocking chair. She wondered how Poseidon was doing. How long has it been since they last saw each other? Twenty, thirty years? It only felt like hours passed when they first met.

Did he even remember her? Of course he did. Their son is one of the most famous heroes of the modern era. How could he not? The memory of that fateful day on the beach was distant and fuzzy, but had a warm feeling to it. He promised her one last sweet embrace and he has yet to keep that. They'll meet again, somehow. She remembered Poseidon's last words to her: _where the world ends, that is where we will meet again._

What did he mean by that? Where exactly was the end of the world? The Underworld? God damn these gods and their cryptic messages.

Maybe he forgot about her, it has been over fifty years. All of her memories were fuzzy - one of the disadvantage, or advantages depending on one's opinion, of growing older. She barely remembered the voices of her parents, of how her mother used to tell her stories or her father's hearty laugh. They were distant bells to her ears and perhaps, it was about time that she joined them.

She lived a good life, a happy life. There was no moment she would want to erase. Not even time could not wash away those yellow memories.

Sally wistfully turned the pearl ring on her gnarled finger, and then looked at the clock slowly ticking away like a heartbeat. They ran out of time, and she didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

* * *

A grey plain of water was all that the pale, white circle could illuminate. A comforting silence was all that was heard. And standing there in the grainy sand was a man of about thirty, with black hair and eyes as green as seaweed.

In his hands, he held a bronze urn filled with ashes. The funeral he went to was a small, silent affair. Just like how she wanted. She died peacefully in her sleep, a surprising end for the mortal parent. The Fates treated her well as they snipped her life thread in half.

He twisted the lid and stared listlessly out into the distance, eyes red and lips quivering. "I'll miss you mom. We'll all miss you. Say hello to dad for me, okay?"

He threw the contents out to the sea, watching them fly and dance into the air. The ashes slowly drifted into the water, where they'll safely wander for forever, forever, and a day.

* * *

 **Goodbye and thank you, for everything.**

\- **_Equinoxes_**


End file.
